50m Pistol Men final: Russia's Gurianov beat Japan's Matsuda at the last shot

ISSF World Cup Rifle / Pistol · Fort Benning, USA

Anton Gurianov of the Russian Federation won his first ISSF medal ever, beating the 2010 World Champion Matsuda a 10.3-point last shot.

The 2014 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup in Fort Benning continued today with the 50m Pistol Men event, won by Anton Gurianov of the Russian Federation.

The 34-year old Russian shooter pocketed his first ISSF medal ever with a final score of 191.3 points, beating Japan's Tomoyuki Matsuda at the last shot with an excellent 10.3.

The 2010 World Champion Matsuda led the medal match right to the last shot, when he fired a disappointing 8.3 sliding back in second place, eventually ending up on the second step of the podium with 190.9 points, just 0.4 points behind Gurianov.

Gurianov said: "Of course my feelings are positive. But I wanted to do better, my results were not perfect. Anyway, I'm pleased with how the final turned out, even more on the last shots. I have done what it was needed to do, and I shot a nice ten point three. And thanks to that, I'm the winner,"

"Appart from that, I will prepare myself for the World Championship in Granada. I hope that I will be the best and that my results will be perfect there."

The Bronze medal went to Serbia's Andrija Zlatic, currently ranked third in the world ranking. The 36-year old shooter from Uzice fought head and head against Matsuda right to his last two shots, but with an 8.4 and an 8.9 he moved back in third, with a final score of 170.6 points.

Vietnam's Hoang Xuan Vinh, who had won the 10m Air Pistol Men event here in Fort Benning on the 29th of March, placed in 4th with 147.1 points, after closing his match with two shots fired in the seventh ring. He was followed by the second Japanese finalist, Horimizu Kojiro (5th with 131.4 points) and by the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist Vladimir Isakov of Russia (6th with 112.8 points).

The two Chinese finalist Pang Wei (2008 Olympic Champion) and Wang Zhiwei finished in seventh and eighth place with 89.5 and 71.6 points, respectively. They both had been sanctioned with a two-point deduction at the beginning of the medal match for not reporting in time for the final.

The 2014 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Stage in Fort Benning will be closed tomorrow by the last two finals (Men's 50m Rifle Prone and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol events). Find schedules and results on www.issf-sports.org